In the midst of their transitional season, the Warriors roster is constantly evolving.
Golden State's latest twist has come in the frontcourt. After trading Willie Cauley-Stein to Dallas last week, the Warriors have just two big centers, including two-way center Marquese Chriss. Because of Chriss' contract situation, he's often forced to sitting out practices, providing a unique circumstance for his coach.
"It's not ideal, but this is what it is, and he's doing a great job of just getting the work in where he can." Steve Kerr told reporters in Boston Wednesday morning.
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At the moment, Chriss has just 18 available days remaining on the NBA roster. To preserve those days, the Warriors have opted to keep him out of most practices. Typically, Chriss will watch game film, including individual film on practice days. Prior to Sunday's practice in Philadelphia, Chriss worked out in the gym located in the team's hotel.
He gets his conditioning in, his shooting in. It just has to be done individually.
Last fall, Chriss joined the team hoping to revitalize his career. Through 37 games, he did that, averaging 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists. However, he was released in order to make room for Damion Lee in the wake of Golden State's hard cap. A week later, Chriss signed a pro-rated two-way contract with the team. Now, a week after Golden State traded Cauley-Stein, Chriss has become the team's starting center.
"It's pretty unique," Kerr said. "I'm fairly certain that there's never been a two-way guy who was your starting center and couldn't practice because you're saving his days."
Golden State Warriors
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Despite Chriss' current contract, the big man has expressed a desire to remain with the team long-term. In the interim, Kerr will continue to reconcile his roster setup.
"It almost doesn't even make sense, but it's kind of where we are right now," Kerr said. "Good thing is, he's been around all season, so he knows our foundation, he knows what we're trying to accomplish. But we do need practice time too."